A pair of otherworldly photos from Superstorm Sandy will be forever etched in my memory of the historic hurricane.

The first photo showed up in much of the mainstream media coverage and became a symbol of the storm: A seemingly intact roller coaster poking out of the Atlantic Ocean off the Jersey Shore like the skeleton of a sea serpent.

The second image ricocheted around the Internet via social media sites and became a symbol of vulnerability and resilience following the storm: An undamaged carousel inside an eerily lit enclosure completely surrounded by water that looked like a glowing jewelry box floating off the New York City coast.

Along with the death, destruction and despair wrought by the hurricane, Superstorm Sandy dealt a crushing blow to the amusement piers and boardwalks along the New Jersey and New York coasts -- washing away the vacation memories and seaside livelihoods of generations of families.

Let's take a closer look at the damage done by Sandy to amusement piers and boardwalks along the mid-Atlantic Coast:

Casino Pier (Seaside Heights, N.J.)

A popular on-camera hangout for the cast of MTV's "Jersey Shore," Casino Pier was the most visible casualty of the seaside amusement parks hit by Sandy.

The Star Jet roller coaster, submerged largely intact at the end of the damaged pier, has become an icon of the storm and a curiosity to everyone from structural engineers to ride enthusiasts who have been left to wonder why the coaster didn't break apart or collapse.

The 2002 Star Jet, built by Oregon-based E&F Miler Industries, is a 50-foot-tall steel coaster similar to rides found at many smaller amusement parks.

A portion of the Stillwalk Manor haunted house, a Casino Pier dark ride destroyed by the storm, washed ashore nine miles away, according to local media reports.

FunTown Pier (Seaside Park)

Located just a half-mile down the beach from the marooned Star Jet coaster, FunTown Pier suffered far more damage than its neighbor to the north.

FunTown owner Billy Major told the local media that 40 of the pier's 44 rides were damaged or destroyed by Sandy. The amusement park suffered more than $1 million in damages, according to Park World.

Roller Coaster Database now lists all of FunTown's coasters - including the 2005 Mighty Mouse - as severely damaged by the storm and presumed destroyed.

The Tower of Fear drop tower by Utah's S&S Power appears to be one of the only FunTown rides that survived the storm.

Keansburg Amusement Park (Keansburg, N.J.)

The Gehlhaus family that runs the waterfront amusement park across the bay from Staten Island has been able to retrieve nearly all the rides washed away by Sandy -- with some of the pieces found a half-mile inland in front yards and alleyways.

Work crews have already begun the arduous task of removing up to three feet of sand from inside the rides before Keansburg employees can start cleaning and rehabilitating the damaged attractions.

The Gehlhaus family is so certain of their recovery efforts that they've already set an opening date for the 2013 season: April 8.

Both of the park's roller coasters - the E&F Miler Sea Serpent and the Schwarzkopf Wild Cat - are still standing and intact despite extensive damage to the park, according to Roller Coaster Database.

An inspection by Chance Rides of Pharaoh's Fury, Chaos and the carousel pronounced the rides structurally fit, according to Park World.

Jane's Carousel (Brooklyn)

The post-Sandy photo of Jane's Carousel seemingly floating inside an enclosed pavilion became an Internet sensation after Ana Andjelic posted the image to her Instagram account.

The fully restored 1922 merry-go-round was built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Co. and moved from Ohio's Idora Park to its current location on the East River between the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges.

The picture shows water surrounding the still-lit acrylic pavilion designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Jean Nouvel as the 48 carved horses stand motionless and unscathed.

Operators plan to repair the attraction's warped floor after pumping water out of the substructure of the $9-million ride, the first carousel placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Coney Island (Brooklyn)

A seven-foot storm surge damaged the electrical systems of many Coney Island rides and left parts of Luna Park, Scream Zone and Deno's Wonder Wheel Park covered in sand, according to local media reports.

The Spook-a-rama dark ride and the bumper cars at Deno's Wonder Wheel park suffered significant water damage, according to Park World.

Preliminary assessments by city crews found no structural damage to the waterfront amusement park's signature rides - the Cyclone and Steeplechase roller coasters and the Wonder Wheel Ferris wheel.

Rye Playland (Rye, N.Y.)

A storm surge destroyed a portion of the boardwalk, toppled trees and pushed debris into the parking lot of the county-owned amusement park, according to local media reports.

County crews planned to inspect the electrical systems of all the amusement park rides that experienced flooding during the storm. Many of the ride motors were damaged when they were submerged in salt water.

The flood damaged Ice Casino skating rink was the hardest hit building on the property.

Morey’s Piers (Wildwood, N.J.)

Minor flooding pushed storm debris into Morey’s Piers and caused minimal damage to the multi-pier establishment, according to park officials.

Hurricane Sandy dealt a crushing blow to the amusement piers and boardwalks along the New Jersey and New York coast that serve as weekend getaways for inland vacationers and financial engines for coastal communities.

Thrill seekers will have to wait a little longer for a big new ride as Knott's Berry Farm unveiled plans for a trio of family attractions in 2013 aimed at bridging the gap in the Buena Park theme park’s collection of kiddie and extreme rides.

After a half decade without a new roller coaster and the removal of two aging rides from its coaster fleet, Cedar Point can once again reclaim its self-proclaimed title of "America's Roller Coast" with the addition of Gatekeeper in 2013.

After a decade of difficulty and uncertainty, California's Great America has dusted off plans for an oft-delayed wooden roller coaster in hopes of reversing the Santa Clara amusement park's declining fortunes.